Saving Grace
by Sango-sama
Summary: “I didn’t mean to...” The village man who had shot the arrow was trembling, staring at his guilty hands in shock. “I didn’t mean to hit the girl. She just jumped in the way...”


Saving Grace  
Prologue  
Sango-sama  
  
Disclaimer: Nope...still don't Inuyasha. Dangnabit!  
Author's Notes: Do not shoot the author for making another new fic. Please!!!!  
  
*****  
  
Tears streamed down Sango's cheeks. A sharp, lancing pain tore at the muscles in her shoulder, right where an arrow had sliced deep through the flesh. She groaned, lifting the arm experimentally. It could be moved...barely.   
  
At least it wasn't her throwing arm.  
  
"I didn't mean to..." The village man who had shot the arrow was trembling, staring at his guilty hands in shock. "I didn't mean to hit the girl. She just jumped in the way..."  
  
She was desperately willing her pain away. Now was definitely not the best time to lose focus.  
  
Throwing an anxious glance over her wounded shoulder, she saw Kohaku sprawled across the ground, with Miroku kneeling beside him. Kirara was at the boy's other side licking his fingers to urge him awake.  
  
The Houshi caught her eyes, letting a smile softly turn his lips. "It's alright, Sango," he gently assured her. "He's just unconscious."   
  
She gave him a slow, pained smile, before turning back to face the villagers.  
  
These villagers, they had no idea what a kind soul Kohaku truly was. How the quiet little boy normally wouldn't hurt a fly, but he certainly had the power to eliminate a sizable demon. But how could they really know? All they had seen was his destructive possessed shell. They had only been fending off his attack.   
  
Sango sighed wearily. Her brother's destructiveness was due to his possession by Naraku. She had believed before that it would be better for him to die than to exist under Naraku's corrupting influence; she had been more than ready to follow him to the grave.   
But now there was a chance, albeit slim, to save him. To return him to his quiet, innocent self...alive and free. She could not allow him to die here.  
  
Her fingers trailed up to inspect the wound. The barbs remained right above the skin's surface; it had been a bad shot. Had they been deeper, removing the arrow would have taken skilled hands and a lot of patience.  
  
Wincing sharply, she tugged at the arrowhead until it pulled loose, dropping on the ground. Blood seeped through her pink and white yukata, staining it scarlet.  
  
A hand clamped over the wound, cautiously pressing the cloth soundly to her skin.  
  
She shuddered against the touch, partly from the pain and partly...from a whole swarm of emotions she was not ready to admit having. She could feel the heat of his gaze, but she didn't dare to meet his eyes.  
  
Rather reluctantly, Miroku turned to the villagers with a solemn smile. "This boy is my friend's brother. He will be leaving this village with us."  
  
"You can't be serious!" one of the men shouted, waving his hands emphatically at the damage. "He tried to kill us!"  
  
"He has to be stopped!"  
  
"No," Sango whimpered softly. The wound was still bleeding heavily, and she felt herself growing steadily more lightheaded and weak. "They can't..."  
  
Miroku was suddenly serious. "I have seen much of the damage that he has caused. To be frank, you are quite lucky that no one was killed. If he had wanted to kill you, you would not be speaking with us now."  
  
The villagers could only gape at the boy who lay motionless behind the pair.  
  
"He has been possessed by a youkai, and so does not have control over himself at times like these. But a glimmer of his humanity remains. As a servant of Buddha, it is my duty to see that his soul is saved and that no one else is harmed."  
  
Sango's eyes were drooping heavily, as she began to slump forward. Miroku caught her around the waist, and then pulled her body tightly against his own. Had she been in a better condition, Miroku most assuredly would be sporting a bright red hand print on his face.  
  
Kirara's body emerged from a burst of flame, transformed into her full size and nudged her snout at the Houshi's elbow.   
  
"We shall take our leave now. I humbly ask that you do not interfere."  
  
*****  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
